


Memories Stronger than Melody

by lavenderhost



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood friend Kyoya, Idol Tamaki, M/M, also uhhh in this they live in the USA bc idk how to write stuff that takes place in japan, but it doesnt go far & it doesnt affect tamaki in any way really, by childhood i really mean they met in middle school like in canon lol, i'll add more tags as i go on, uhh in the first chapter someone tries to advance on tamaki without his permission
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-21 13:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16577231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderhost/pseuds/lavenderhost
Summary: Tamaki Suoh is one of the most well-known performers in the nation, having gotten immensely popular after multiple hit singles and exclusive interviews. There's no one who doesn't know who he is, and he absolutely basks in the fame. However, after a run-in with an old friend, he begins to wonder if fame is really all he wants.





	1. Advances of the TV Interviewer!

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! thank u so much for ur interest in my fic!! i just wanted to warn you beforehand that this fic might start off pretty slow, but as the chapters progress it'll become much more interesting!!  
> if u spot any grammar mistakes, please let me know so i can fix them! i probably wont be checking for mistakes (since im lazy as hell) so i apologize if there are any!  
> if u enjoy it please let me know by leaving me kudos or a comment! it would make my week!!!!  
> i'll be updating randomly, however if i for some reason need to take a break, i'll warn you the chapter beforehand.  
> anyways, enjoying chapter one of Memories Stronger than Melody! :^)

“So, Tamaki, tell us, do you plan on going on tour any time soon? We’ve all been dying to know!”  
     Tamaki looked at Camera A that was pointed at him and the interviewer he was sat with, an innocent smile displayed on his lips. He knew that everyone watching the interview was hanging onto every word that came out his mouth; he had gotten used to the fame and attention that being an idol entailed, and he’d be a fool if he didn’t learn how to use that to his advantage.  
     In response to the question, he shrugged slightly, winking as he spoke softly to the camera.  
     “Now, we all know that I’ve been wanting to go on tour very badly. After all, I don’t even know what my beautiful fans look like, and that is absolutely unacceptable!” He said matter-of-factly. “So, I am pleased to announce that I am in fact going on tour!” The interviewer grinned with delight, her cheeks turning rosy.  
     “Well folks, you heard it here first! Now, Tamaki, when will this tour take place?” She asked, her enthusiasm very obvious, perhaps too enthusiastic for it to be considered professional. Tamaki ignored it, however, because he didn’t mind the excitement.  
     “Dates and locations will be announced within the week, and I know for a fact that they’ll sell out quickly, so keep an eye out on my website for further news! I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful faces during this tour!”  
     “Well, thank you for joining us this afternoon! Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today.” The interviewer said, her disappointment in the interview ending a bit too apparent. “Tamaki Suoh, up-and-coming star, everybody!” The audience that the show was filmed in front of cheered as Tamaki stood up, making his way off of the set and backstage. He could hear the interviewer’s voice through the walls; “Up next is the news, so don’t change the channel!”  
     “Ah, Tamaki, that was just splendid!” Tamaki’s manager said to him, grinning as he walked up to Tamaki. The blond smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just doing what I was told to do, Hank.” One of the production managers of the talk show offered him a water bottle, which he gratefully accepted. He opened it and took a couple gulps, feeling refreshed due to the water.  
     “Your car is outside, we’ll leave in five minutes, so get your stuff together!” Hank said cheerily, walking away to talk to one of the executives about the interview. Tamaki twisted the cap to the water closed and began to head towards his dressing room, which was just down the hall. He had been on set for a good three hours, despite the interview only lasting about ten minutes, so he had a good idea on where everything was. He recognized the photographs on the walls in the hallway; the Eiffel Tower in black and white, hung in a gold frame, a cafe in some big city, patrons smiling happily to each other in a black frame, and one that Tamaki found rather intriguing. It was a huge rose bush, with lavender and white roses sprinkled across it, a butterfly perched on the center lavender rose. Tamaki loved this photograph for a reason he couldn’t explain. Perhaps it was because it was the only one hung up that was shot in color rather than grayscale, but he knew internally that that wasn’t the sole reason.  
He shrugged off the thought, deciding it didn’t matter as it was just a photograph in a building he’d most likely never return to and continued to his dressing room. Once he entered it and closed the door behind him he sighed, grateful to have a moment to himself. Since he had woken up that morning he had been accompanied by at least one person (usually his manager, Hank). It was nice to have a moment alone.  
     The dressing room was one of the nicer ones he had been in, providing him a vanity, a couch, a bathroom, and even snacks. It honestly felt like a nice mini-hotel room. The couch was a beautiful burgundy color that Tamaki adored, which complimented the pale walls and yellow trimming in a way that he appreciated more than he probably should have. He began to take his microphone off, pulling it out from under his shirt and placing it on his vanity, where one of the tech guys had told him to return it earlier in the day.  
     Munching on some M&M’s he had taken from the snack area Tamaki grabbed his black duffle bag, something he carried with him at all times. It carried just his essentials; some deodorant, a travel-size bottle of his signature cologne (titled ‘The Scent of Suoh’), a phone charger, a notebook (in case some inspiration struck him randomly and he wanted to document it) as well as some granola bar wrappers that he hadn’t gotten around to emptying out yet. He knew he had people who would be more than willing to carry his bag for him, but he found it more comforting if he carried it himself. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t trust it in the hands of his employees since it was something he’d kept from the beginning of his career.  
     Suddenly a knock at his dressing room door caused him to snap out of his thoughts, and he assumed it was Hank telling him that it was time to head out.  
     “Yes Hank, I know. I’ll be out in just a moment.” Tamaki called out, double checking he had everything. However, instead of the sound of footsteps heading back to the exit of the building, instead, he heard his door squeak open. He knit his brows together, looking up. Standing in the doorway was the interviewer (her name was...Mimi Sazuki if Tamaki remembered correctly).  
     “Oh, Miss Sazuki, I apologize, I thought you were my manager,” Tamaki said quickly, realizing that he must have sounded a bit snappy to someone who didn’t work close to him. “I was actually just about to leave, so if you’re going to say something you’d better make it fast.” His tone was cheerful, although he honestly got a weird vibe from Mimi.  
     “Oh Tamaki, drop the formalities…” Mimi said, closing the door behind her. “Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it, too…” She muttered, beginning to walk towards him. Tamaki grew confused at that statement, placing his duffle bag on the vanity.  
     “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you’re talking about…” He said honestly, his voice heart racing a bit as she placed a hand gently on his shoulder.  
     “Puh-lease…” Mimi said, rolling her eyes and dragging her hand down Tamaki’s side. “I felt the sparks between us. You really think I’d let you leave without advancing on it?”  
     Tamaki immediately understood the situation, having encountered fans like this before. He took a deep breath and gently replied, “I’m sorry, Miss Sazuki, but I think you must have read me incorrectly.” He chuckled awkwardly. “Now, I must really go, my manager is waiting for me…” He began to grab her arm to move it away from his hip, feeling uncomfortable at the touch, when suddenly she pulled on it, causing him to fall on the couch. Next thing Tamaki knew, Mimi was on top of him, smiling too innocently for what she had just done.  
     “I said I’m not letting you go.” She said, tracing her thumb across Tamaki’s bottom lip. “I had to work so hard in order to score that interview with you, and after speaking with you, I realized I couldn’t ever let you go…”  
Just as she began to lean in, Tamaki struggling under her surprising weight, the door opened once again.  
     “Tamaki, let’s head out.” The sound was Hank, and Tamaki had never felt more relieved to see his manager. Suddenly Hank stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. “Oh, I’m...I’m sorry to have interrupted…” He said awkwardly, face bright red. Tamaki quickly shook his head, the best he could manage. Taking advantage of Mimi’s confusion and shock, he quickly pushed her off of the couch, feeling discomfort due to her actions. He took a moment to readjust his shirt before he spoke.  
     “Miss Sazuki, what you did was incredibly inappropriate and caused me a mild amount of distress,” Tamaki stated, his back turned to her. “I’ll make sure your boss hears about it.”  
     Normally Tamaki tried to be nice to the more...delusional fans, since they often didn’t know better, but this was just...absolutely unacceptable. He grabbed his duffle bag, leaving Mimi sitting on the ground in anger behind him. As he and Hank exited the dressing room, Hank began to freak out, as Tamaki suspected.  
     “Tamaki! We have to report her immediately! Are you okay? Did she do anything to you?!” He asked, stopping in his tracks in the hallway. Tamaki sighed, waving his hand a bit.  
     “I’m okay, Hank. She only pinned me down, it wasn’t that big of a deal. She mainly just shocked me, in all honesty. But I am still going to report her since what she did was incredibly unprofessional.” Hank nodded and began to speed walk towards one of the producers of the show.  
     Tamaki sighed, glancing at the photograph of the rose bush once more. The sight of it calmed him.  
     “Tamaki, she’s been reported, let’s head out. The producers will handle it from here.” Hank’s voice interrupted his thoughts, similar to how Mimi’s had just moments before, and Tamaki smiled to at him.

“Alright.”

* * *

 

     In the car, Tamaki was quieter than normal. He kept thinking about the event with Mimi. It was odd...he had had instances similar to that in the past; fans not knowing boundaries and assuming they didn’t exist just because Tamaki was famous, but none had ever shaken him up like the one with Mimi. Perhaps it was because she had physically pinned him down and caused him to feel more out of power than he had been with the other instances. He honestly didn’t know.  
     As soon as Tamaki got home, however, he had decided to ignore it. He made his way out of the car, saying goodbye to Hank and thanking the driver before walking up the pathway to his house. He always found it kind of silly how large his house was, considering he lived alone. Ever since he had gained popularity his house had just gotten more and more upgrades, now including an in-ground pool in the backyard, a jacuzzi, a home theater, a gym, and a full bar. He hadn’t used most of the commodities in his house if he was being completely honest since he wasn’t a swimmer or a drinker. He felt slightly bad letting it go to waste, but considering he had no say in what happened to his home, he supposed Hank would have to deal with the consequences of it going unused himself.  
     As Tamaki entered his home, the familiar scent of his air freshener allowing him to finally relax, he heard the sound of paws running towards him quickly.  
     “Antoinette!” He cheered loudly, grinning as the golden retriever bounded towards him. “Oh, I missed you so much, sweetie!” Tamaki loved Antoinette dearly, she was truly one of the best parts of his life.  
     Tamaki walked into his large kitchen, sighing as his stomach growled. He was so hungry, and once again his lack of ability to cook was stopping him from having a meal. He contemplated for a second, before eventually walking over to the landline that hung on the wall near his sink, dialing the number for his personal cook. Hank had insisted on hiring him for Tamaki, and he figured he might as well get him to come over and cook something for him.  
     “Hello, yes, this is Tamaki. I would like you to come over and cook me some lunch. I think pasta and a salad will suffice. Red sauce for the pasta, and caesar dressing for the salad. I will be in the shower when you arrive, so just head in and begin cooking. Thank you very much.”  
     He hung up and then began his walk to his bathroom, which was upstairs. The bathroom was beautiful; marble countertop, a large mirror and a shower that was large enough to fit five people. He truly did love his bathroom, which may sound odd to him, but it was one of his favorite parts of his house, second only to his bedroom.  


* * *

 

     As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Tamaki lay on his couch, the TV playing some survival show in the background. Antoinette napped lazily by his back door, bathing in the setting light. This was when he finally allowed himself to think freely, not burdened with thoughts of what he had to get done. He wondered if he was ready to go on tour. He knew that it wouldn’t begin for a month, the first date being set for June 22nd, but he still had his worries about it not being enough time for him to prepare. He had to pack so many clothes and while he knew he had people to help him with that, he was nervous about leaving his home behind. His team would be hiring a dog watcher to check up on Antoinette, but Tamaki was afraid of her getting lonely without him. The tour was going to last three months, and he wasn’t sure he could spend all that time away from her. He’d ask Hank about taking her tomorrow.  
    He was also scared no one would buy tickets. He knew it was a stupid fear, considering his popularity across the nation, but he still had a nagging feeling in his gut that no one would come. He knew it was just his insecurities talking and causing him to worry, so he tried to drown them out.  
     Before he knew it, Tamaki’s eyes began to drift closed. He didn’t mind sleeping on the couch; it was incredibly comfortable and he was too lazy to walk upstairs to his bedroom. So he allowed himself to fall asleep, the TV still playing whatever came next on the channel, providing him some white noise as he drifted into unconsciousness.


	2. Reunion of the Blonde and Brunette!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tamaki is late for a meeting, the barista gets flustered, and Kyoya's memories return as strong as ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how long and kind of boring the last chapter was aha. Tamaki meets Kyoya this chapter!  
> I hope you enjoy! If you do, please leave some kudos or a comment, I appreciate it!

     Tamaki awoke the next morning with a start, sitting up on his couch quickly as his vision blurred slightly due to sleeping for so long. He rubbed his eyes, then glanced at a clock on the wall, practically gagging when he read the time; 12:18 PM. He was supposed to wake up at 8 that day to speak with some of his tour managers about the tour, but he had obviously slept in too late for that. He mentally smacked himself as he stood up, rushing upstairs to his bedroom.  How could he have forgotten to set an alarm?! He knew he had an important meeting that day, yet he still managed to neglect it.  
     Tamaki entered his room in a frenzy, throwing open his closet door and walking into it, trying to find something decent to wear. He knew that he’d never hear the end of it from his manager for being over four hours late so that distracted him slightly when trying to pick an outfit out. Eventually, he decided on a simple white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans, convincing himself that he didn’t need to wear a genius outfit every single day. He laid his clothes on his bed and grabbed his phone, unplugging it from the charger that he had plugged it into the night before, sighing at the notifications of texts and missed calls from his manager. Suddenly his phone began blaring Hank’s ringtone, his contact photo popping up on the screen. Tamaki sighed and answered it, putting it on speaker phone before placing it on his desk.  
     “Tamaki, where the hell are you?! I’ve been trying to contact you all morning, but I just kept getting voicemail! You had a meeting today with the tour managers, and now I have to deal with them being angry about you not showing up at the time you were supposed to! It’s too late for the meeting today, they already left. It was rescheduled tomorrow at the same time, so I guess you have today off. But let me tell you, tomorrow, _be there_.” The call then ended and Tamaki sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew Hank was pretty intense when it came to meetings and being on time, but he had never heard him sound that stern when talking about it. Tamaki felt terrible; he knew that meeting was important, considering he was leaving for the tour so soon, and he couldn’t believe he missed it. It had been the first big mess-up of his career, so it really hit him hard.  
     He got dressed, dropping his pajamas in his clothes basket, and took a seat on his bed with his phone in his hands. He began drafting a text back to Hank;  
‘Hey Hank, woke up late. Sorry, I’ll be there tomorrow!’  
No...that seemed like he didn’t care.  
‘Hank, my apologies for not making the meeting, I assure you I absolutely will not miss it for the world tomorrow.’  
Too intense.  
Finally, he decided on a simple, ‘Hey, sorry for missing the meeting, I feel terrible. You can count on me tomorrow.’  
     Tamaki sighed and turned his phone off, standing up and leaving his bedroom. He decided that he’d go get some coffee then come back and work out a bit. It was a good plan for the beginning of his day. He walked down the flight of stairs, his hand dragging gently against the gold banister, paintings that he had been gifted or that he had bought moving past his eyes as he looked at the wall. There was Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel at night, the shore of the ocean lapping at the bay, a vase of beautiful flowers, and finally, Tamaki himself standing behind his mother, who was sitting on a chair. Tamaki stopped in his tracks to look at the painting. He rarely really looked at it, but it made him smile nonetheless at how it was able to capture her utter beauty. Her golden hair made him appreciate his own hair more since it was one of the biggest similarities he had shared with her. There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t miss her.  
     He eventually moved past it after a few minutes just looking at it, walking to the kitchen. “Antoinette!” He called, making kissy noises. “Come eat breakfast!” He grabbed the cup in the case of dog food, measuring out her breakfast before pouring it into her bowl. He made sure she had enough water as she bounded into the kitchen, beginning to eat the food. Tamaki smiled as he crouched down to pet her, receiving a few licks in response to the affection. He laughed and stood up, beginning to make his way to the front door. “Alright Antoinette, I’m heading out for a bit. I’ll be back soon!” He quickly put on his shoes, just some black boots, and made his way out of the house after grabbing his duffle bag from the small table by the door.  
     He decided he’d just walk to the cafe that was near his house, since calling a car would take too long and draw unwanted attention that he frankly didn’t want to deal with that at the moment. Now, he loved his fans, but sometimes it got to be just a bit...too much. Besides, he appreciated the walk. It was only about seven minutes since it was only a block or two down, but it was still nice to get out of the house. He always loved early springtime, the flowers beginning to bloom and the days slowly becoming warmer. It signaled new beginnings and new life, so Tamaki always found it to be very inspiring to him.  
     Once he arrived at the cafe, he thought about what he’d order. Was he really feeling coffee, or should he get tea? It was a difficult decision to make. He opened the door of the cafe, the smell of coffee and pastries causing him to smile to himself, already putting him in a better mood. He had only gone to this cafe a couple of times, but every time he did he was satisfied with his experience, so he wasn’t sure why he didn’t come more often.  
There were only a few other people scattered around in the cafe while soft jazz music played in the background. They had recently redecorated for Spring, Tamaki assumed, the entire place decked out with various floral and nature-themed decorations. It was beautiful, whoever was their interior decorator really deserved a pat on the back. Tamaki walked up to the counter where a young guy stood, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, probably near Tamaki’s age.  
     “Welcome, and good afternoon!” Tamaki glanced at the boy’s name tag, which read ‘Oliver’. Tamaki smiled back at him, nodding.  
     “Good afternoon to you as well.” He said with a perky voice. “You know, I honestly don’t know what to get, today...Hmm…” He glanced up to the chalkboard menu on the wall behind Oliver, reading over their options. Italian soda, mochas, lattes, breves...There were so many options.  
     “Hold on a second, Tamaki Suoh?!” Oliver exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement. “I didn’t recognize you at first, wow, I...I can’t believe I’m meeting you!” He said, and Tamaki grinned at him.  
     “Always nice to meet a fan,” Tamaki said, putting on his kindest attitude he could. “Tell me, Oliver, what drink would you prefer for a nice spring day such as today?” He asked, looking at Oliver. The boy looked like he was going to faint from excitement, his cheeks turning bright red.  
     “Oh, well, we actually just got a new floral tea in celebration of the season! It has a sweet and rich flavor, as well as some touches of fruit that tastes wonderful both iced and hot! However, we also just recently serving our homemade lemonade, with choices of flavor syrup made from all-natural ingredients. If you’re looking for a specific flavor, we have a list right here.” Oliver gestured to a small sign on the counter in front of Tamaki, which read a list of various flavors. Tamaki looked at it, humming a small tune to himself as he thought.  
     “You know, I would actually love to try your raspberry strawberry lemonade. You know, those are two of my favorite fruits! In fact, one time I think I ate a strawberry that was as red as your cheeks.” Tamaki said, winking to Oliver. The boy’s face turned even redder and Tamaki just smiled wider.  
     “Al-Alright, sure thing! Uh, what size would you like that to be? You know, actually, you can have a large, on the house!” He said, putting it into the cash register.  
     “Oh, Oliver, I couldn’t do that, please…” Tamaki shook his head, pulling out his wallet. “Here you go.” He said, pulling a twenty dollar bill out of his cash pocket in his wallet. “You can keep the change as a tip.”  
     “W...Wow, than...thank you!” Oliver cashed out the twenty dollar bill and put the extra into the tip jar. “I’ll come up with that soon, but uh...do you think we can get a selfie together? I’m sorry, you’re just...a huge inspiration to me.” Tamaki was a bit surprised at this request- usually, his fans just freaked out and hugged him, he rarely got asked to take selfies, despite his beautiful looks.  
     "Oh, of course! I mean, I don’t want you to get in trouble or anything…” He said, mainly just worried about the boy’s boss getting angry.  
     “No, I was actually about to go on break, so my boss won’t care. Besides, she’s pretty chill anyways.” Oliver rubbed the back of his neck and Tamaki shrugged.  
     “Well, alright, let’s do this.” Oliver quickly walked out from behind the counter and pulled out his phone. Tamaki stood next to him, getting ready to pose.       “Do you have a specific pose?” He asked, looking at Oliver. He thought for a moment.  
     “Uh, how about the ‘I love you’ symbol?” Oliver suggested, demonstrating with his pinky, pointer finger and thumb up while the others were down. Tamaki nodded, putting his left hand up in the symbol. Oliver then got ready to take the picture when Tamaki noticed just how much he was shaking.  
     “Oh, here, let me take it,” Tamaki said, grabbing the phone. He then positioned it so it was at a nice angle and they took the selfie. Tamaki then changed poses so it looked like he was kissing Oliver’s cheek, even though his lips didn’t actually touch his skin in fear of making him uncomfortable. Once that picture was taken Tamaki gave Oliver a hug and handed him back his phone. “There we go!” Oliver was grinning ear to ear as he clutched his phone to his chest.  
     “Thank you _so much!_ I’ll bring your lemonade over once it’s done!” He then scurried back behind the counter to start on the lemonade as Tamaki made his way to a table near the window. He normally would have snapped just a quick photo, but Oliver charmed Tamaki. He rarely had male fans who were so expressive in their liking to him, so it was refreshing to have a fan like Oliver sometimes, and he decided that since he didn’t have anything to do that day he might as well make someone else’s.  
     As he looked away from the window he noticed he had gotten the attention of a few other patrons, however, they all seemed older and Tamaki assumed they didn’t know why Oliver had freaked out so much. Tamaki waved an apology to one older man who liked slightly upset at the interruption in the quiet atmosphere before he just huffed in annoyance and continued to read his newspaper. Tamaki decided to pull out his phone, skimming through his tagged photos on Instagram. A lot of them were just reposts of selfies he had posted on his own account, however whenever he came across some fanart or a photo edit he’d always comment, saying how beautiful it was or how much he appreciated it. Because he really did. Eventually, Oliver came over with Tamaki’s drink and he thanked him as he walked away. A few minutes later Tamaki saw that he had been tagged in the selfies on Instagram, commenting ‘It was so nice to meet you, you are so cute! The drink is delicious, by the way.’  
     Tamaki then looked up, sipping on the drink, as he made eye contact with someone across the room. He had dark hair that was combed neatly on his head as well as a pair of glasses that hung delicately off his nose. He had an open laptop in front of him as well as a black notebook and some pens strewed across his desk. The eye contact seemed to last forever; the look intense and strong and almost...cold. It caused the hair on the back of Tamaki’s neck to rise. Where did he know this guy…?  
     Suddenly a series of memories flashed in his head; tears, a strong hug, the look of sadness on the young boy’s face, and the ground shrinking as the plane took off. He then remembered who this man across the room was.

* * *

     When Kyoya had headed to the cafe that day, he hadn’t expected to meet up with a long-lost friend. In fact, he had only planned on sending some business emails and getting some work done before returning to his home. That was all. But here he was, making eye contact with the blonde man across the room at this small, locally-owned coffee shop, looking into violet eyes that he had spent hours upon hours studying in his teenage years, memorizing every hue and color that they encompassed. It was weird seeing them again; they seemed so familiar, yet so different. He quickly broke the eye contact, looking back at his laptop screen, deciding not to act on this coincidence. Tamaki probably didn’t even remember him.  
     “Kyoya?” The raven-haired man looked up from his computer screen, shocked to see Tamaki standing in front of him, his expression soft and intrigued. Kyoya felt a weird tightness in his chest that he hadn’t felt in many years, the expression that Tamaki made causing him to recall many days spent with the other doing God knows what. It almost...hurt a little.  
     “Tamaki, I haven’t seen you in a while…” Kyoya said, closing his notebook, deciding to keep his reaction calm and collected. He was never one for misty-eyed reunions. Even when it came to Tamaki. “How odd to see you here.” He honestly was surprised to see Tamaki at the cafe, considering how often Kyoya went here. He had never seen Tamaki before.  
     “Kyoya, come on!” Tamaki exclaimed, sitting in the chair across from him. “It’s me! I haven’t seen you in, what, four years?! I thought you’d be more excited to see me!” Kyoya pushed up his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking at Tamaki again. In all honesty, he was pleased to see Tamaki. He was more than pleased because while he hated admitting it, he did miss him once he had left.  
     “You’ve surely made a name for yourself over these years,” Kyoya remarked, ignoring Tamaki’s whining about his lack of a response. “You’re going on tour soon, right? That must be pretty exciting.” Tamaki looked taken aback.  
     “You mean you’ve been keeping track of me?” Tamaki asked, beginning to tear up slightly.  
     “Calm down, dork, I haven’t been ‘keeping track of you’. It’s kind of hard to ignore news about you, considering you’re one of the most popular artists in the nation. I’m actually surprised there aren’t hoards of fangirls attacking you right now since you’re out in public alone.” Tamaki chuckled a bit, nodding.  
     “Honestly, so am I. However, that barista over there was pretty excited to see me, he looked like he was about to faint.” Kyoya nodded, having seen the entire scene occur. He took a moment to really scan Tamaki, trying to pinpoint what was different about him. His face had definitely matured from how he looked when he was nineteen years old, nervous and unsure of himself. He seemed so...confident now. Success can do that to someone, Kyoya knew that very well. However, there was also a hint of stress to his face. He had slight bags under his eyes, and Kyoya knew that that was also a side effect to success. Overall, however, Tamaki looked rather healthy and happy. Kyoya couldn’t blame him.  
     “Yes, that was quite the spectacle.” He nodded, closing his laptop screen, satisfied with where the email he had drafted to get packed up and return home.       “I hate to do this, but I must be on my way home.” In all honesty, Kyoya didn’t necessarily need to get home at this moment, considering he had gotten all his work done for the rest of the week done that morning, but he felt like if he continued speaking with Tamaki some of the emotions and feelings he had spent so long trying to get rid of would come bubbling back up, and he couldn’t have that.  
     “Buy _Kyo~ya!_ We just reconnected, I can’t let you get away that easily!” Tamaki said, pouting. “Come on, you can come to my house and we can have lunch together!” He offered, and as Kyoya was about to deny he saw Tamaki’s puppy-dog eyes, and while he tried his hardest to say no, he eventually gave in.  
     “Ugh. Fine.” He said, rolling his eyes. “But I have to finish something real quick, so it’ll be about ten minutes.” He said, opening his laptop once again. Tamaki cheered and stood up, grinning.  
     “Alright! Ten minutes and we’ll leave!” He said, walking back over to his table. Kyoya sighed and stared at his laptop’s log-in screen, trying to decipher what he was feeling. As the light of his screen bore into his eyes, his brain moved back to a memory he had re-lived countless times, the events occurring just as he remembered.  
  
_“You promise you’ll text?” Kyoya asked as Tamaki looked at him, standing in front of the escalator._  
_“‘_ Course, _” Tamaki said, staring at the ground. Kyoya felt his breath become shallow as he recognized Tamaki’s tone of voice. It hurt him to hear. It sounded so... sad. Like Tamaki was thinking about something that was hindering his ability to be excited for this moment. The sound was so uncharacteristically him, the lack of passion made Kyoya’s_ heart break _, something that normally wouldn’t happen to him._

 _Suddenly the intercom sounded, announcing that Tamaki’s flight was boarding._  
_“Well, guess this is_ goodbye, _” Tamaki said, smiling sadly at Kyoya. “I’ll see you sometime, wish me luck.” He then turned around, his backpack slung on his left shoulder. He glanced back to Kyoya, eyes misty. “And hey, forget about last night, okay?”_  
_Kyoya felt tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks, the sensation burning due to the fact that it was still so unfamiliar to him to this day. He had no idea what that line was supposed to mean, but the amount of heartbreak, and hope, and disappointment and anger and discontent and pride of seeing his best friend leave...It was all too much to handle._

_Kyoya hated Tamaki for making him feel this much._

     Kyoya soon shook out of the memory, the emotions he had felt that one day feeling just as real and recent as ever. It was weird, the fact he had held onto that memory so tightly. He remembered it so vividly, and despite how many times he remembered it, it still stung just as much. Kyoya took a deep breath and unlocked his laptop, the password flowing out of his fingertips from pure muscle memory. He stared at the document holding his email draft he had been working on. He eventually saved and closed it, powering his laptop down. He then placed it inside his briefcase, his notebook and stationary soon following. He knew it hadn’t been ten minutes yet, but he felt the need to talk to Tamaki about what had happened when he left. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to let go.  
     He held his briefcase in his hand, walking up to Tamaki’s table. “Come on, let’s go.” He said, gesturing towards the door. Tamaki looked at him with a confused look, his lemonade glass now empty on the table.  
     “You know it hasn’t been ten minutes, right?” Tamaki asked, and Kyoya nodded.  
     “Yeah, I finished early. Let’s go.” Kyoya explained, grabbing Tamaki’s glass and putting it into one of the nearby dish bins.  
     “Well, alright, if you insist. My place is actually just a block or two down, so we can walk there.” Kyoya was surprised to find out Tamaki lived so close by since he thought he would have lived somewhere closer to town. Tamaki then stood up, duffle bag in hand, and made his way out of the cafe, Kyoya following.


End file.
